Historic Arkansas Riverwalk set to break ground on channel extension, boathouse projects
The official groundbreaking of the Riverwalk 1A Expansion Project is coming the first week of June, Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo (HARP) officials announced Wednesday.
The fourth phase of the expansion project features a channel extension from Gateway Park eastward toward Santa Fe Avenue.
Additionally, HARP plans to build a new boathouse in Gateway Park near the Pueblo Convention Center. The building will have three garage bays to dock excursion boats, the gondola, and pedalboats to protect them from weather and vandalism. The first floor will also hold a guest center where visitors can learn about the Riverwalk and purchase snacks, drinks and boat tickets.
An official groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, June 6, at 11 a.m. on the east end of the Pueblo Riverwalk, 125 Riverwalk Place. The ceremony will celebrate the collaboration between the city of Pueblo, Pueblo County, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, the Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority, the HARP Foundation, donors, and project team members who have contributed to the project.
The event will feature speakers from several of the participating organizations, said Dani Vigil, communications and development coordinator for HARP. However, HARP is still finalizing the run of show, so nothing is yet set in stone, she said.
"The commencement of Phase IV of Riverwalk enhancement marks a significant milestone in the development of the Riverwalk and Downtown Pueblo," HARP officials said in a Wednesday news release. "The HARP 1A Expansion Project and Boathouse represents a dynamic fusion of community engagement, innovative design, and progressive development for Pueblo."
“We are so excited to begin work on the project and continue to grow the Riverwalk and its impact on the community. The entertainment opportunities within the new addition are endless, and will allow us to grow our current programs and events for both locals and visitors,” said Lynn Clark, HARP executive director.
Local contractor H.W. Houston was awarded the bid for the $15.9 million project to extend the river channel to Santa Fe Avenue and build a multi-use boathouse.
The project is being funded by an amalgam of city, county, state, and federal sources.
Just over half of the project funding — $9 million — comes from Pueblo County 1A funding. The project also received $1 million in funding from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, which was matched by Pueblo city government. Another $200,000 is provided by a grant from the Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority, and nearly $1.5 million is provided by federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Finally, the last $3.3 million is being funded by the Regional Tourism Act sale and use tax, according to Vigil.
The tax is a half-cent sales tax with funding set aside for regional tourism projects.
Construction is expected to begin in the early weeks of June and will take an estimated 18-24 months to complete.
While the Riverwalk will remain open throughout construction, the process will require a re-routing of Riverwalk pedestrian traffic over the Veterans' Bridge. Vigil stated officials do not expect any impact to vehicle traffic in the area of Santa Fe Avenue during the course of the project.
The Riverwalk’s summer programming and entertainment will remain uninterrupted, HARP officials said in the release, and the HARP Authority "will work to keep the public as informed as possible on construction updates and timeline."
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This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: What to know about the upcoming expansion of the Pueblo Riverwalk
